


What Remains to be Found

by unknowableroom_archivist



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: One Shot, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-11-03
Updated: 2011-11-03
Packaged: 2019-01-19 20:57:45
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 542
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12418020
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/unknowableroom_archivist/pseuds/unknowableroom_archivist
Summary: While searching for something that means a great deal to James, Lily and the Head Boy each end up finding something in the other's presence.





	What Remains to be Found

**Author's Note:**

> Note from ChristyCorr, the archivist: this story was originally archived at [Unknowable Room](http://fanlore.org/wiki/Unknowable_Room), a Harry Potter archive active from 2005-2016. To preserve the archive, I began manually importing its works to the AO3 as an Open Doors-approved project after May 2017. I e-mailed all creators about the move and posted announcements, but may not have reached everyone. If you are (or know) this creator, please contact me using the e-mail address on [Unknowable Room collection profile](http://www.archiveofourown.org/collections/unknowableroom).

She crinkled her nose and tapped her foot impatiently. They weren’t supposed to be up, let alone roaming mysterious rooms in the castle, but the boy was adamant. Lily Evans wasn’t one to look for trouble, but recently, when it came to James Potter she had a hard time saying no.

That worried her.

“It smells old,” she whined as she swatted at the cloud of dust in front of her face to feign annoyance. In reality, she was thrilled that it was just the two of them. Here, together. Wherever ‘here’ happened to be. She just wanted to be near him, which was new.

That, too, worried her.

“It’s dark, James, and I have no idea where I’m going,” she said, frustrated as she bumped into a tall stack of scrolls.

Rolling his eyes, James just grabbed her hand and the pair made their way around the bulky boxes to a trunk in the corner of the room. He knew it was bold, but she wasn’t protesting. He wore a smile all the way to the back of the room, and didn’t mind a bit as she came crashing into him when he stopped abruptly. Aside from a shout of surprise, there was still no protest.

He knelt down next to her, let go of her hand, and began gently caressing the intricate woodwork on the lid. Dust flew off the top as he blew away the age that had grown like a protective covering over the surface. He grinned up at her as she scrunched up her face once more. He motioned for her to take a seat next to him, and after she hesitated for a moment, a pleading look in his eyes brought her down with a sigh.

Lily wasn’t excited until she found herself shoulder to shoulder with him. He shifted his weight closer to her and suddenly, she was acutely aware of where her arm was touching his. The energy and anticipation he exuded was strong, and it filled her in a way she wasn’t expecting.

She could tell he was nervous now. Nervous about what they would find. Probably more nervous about what they wouldn’t. His hands shook as he reached for the latch. She glanced over at him, and waited.

He bit his cheek. Her gaze wasn’t helping. He was already nervous about what he would learn tonight, but for her to be sitting so close, the smell of her hair filling his head, and the staring…Merlin! She was staring, and now he couldn’t even lift the latch. Leave it to Lily Evans to render the star player of the Gryffindor quidditch team absolutely incapable of coordinated movement.

She held her breath as the latch was undone with a click, the anticipation building in her chest. He eased the trunk’s heavy lid open.

“Sorry,” he apologized as he fanned the cloud of dust that bloomed in front of them. “It’s dusty.”

She smiled, but tried to hide it. She didn’t know what was funnier, his statement of the obvious, or his misinterpretation of her actions. Her inability to breathe had nothing to do with the dust.

That, of course, worried her.

The pair of them leaned over and stared eagerly into the box. 


End file.
